But motives are weight by the Lord.
Psalm 34: 1-10
PROVERBS 16:2 (NIV)
How quick we are to question the motives of others,
yet we are slow to question our own! When others harm us,
we may assume the worst of intentions. When we are guilty,
we often excuse our offenses, concluding that others are far
too sensitive! Regardless of how we monitor our motives,
God weights them in His scales of righteousness. It is futile
to try to deceive God with our pious justifications, for He sees
our hearts.
It is possible to do the right thing for the wrong reason?
Of course! You can attend worship services with a heart that
is far from worship ( Isa.1:10-17 ) Could you show concern
for the poor and yet have a heart that is opposed to God?
Judas did ( John 12:4-8 ). Could you make bold statement
of love for Christ and actually be aiding the work of satan?
Peter did ( Matthew 16:21-23 ). Could you offer sacrifices to
God and be in total disobedience to Him? King Saul did
( 1 Sam. 13:8-9 ) Could you pray with the wrong motives?
James said you can ( James 4:3 ). Imagine the obstacles a
person would have to overcome to walk from New York City
to San Francisco. A man who had accomplished this feat
was asked about his biggest hurdle.
He said the toughest part of his trip wasn't walking up
the mountains or crossing hot, dry, barren stretches of desert.
"The thing that came the closest to defeating me,"he admitted,
"was the sand in my shoes."This reminds me of how we can
be spiritually defeated by what begins as a little Irritant. We
let an unkind word, a small setback, or a misunderstanding
get us down, do we allow people around us to influence us
in little but wrong ways. Instead of being determined to avoid
evil big or small.
Sir francis Drake, the 16th-century English explorer who
had sailed around the world, was crossing the Thames River
when a violent storm threatened to capsize his boat. He cried,
"Shall I who have endured the storms of oceans be drowned
in a ditch?" Even i fall and i'm weak? We would be wise to ask
ourselves, "Shall I, who have come so far by faith, be defeated
by "Sand in my Shoes'?" We must answer with a resolute no!
Many things causes us to do what we do what We can be
motivated by good things, such as love for God, Compassion,
Generosity, and faith. Or our action can come from unhealthy
motives. Such as pride, insecurity, ambition, lust, greed, guilt,
Anger, fear, and hurt. It is even possible to do the best things
based on the worst motives. When the Lord measures our
motives He looks for one thing: love. All that we do should
proceed from our love for God and for others. (1Cor. 13 ).
Take time to look past your actions to what lies behind them.
Ask God to show you what He sees when He examines your
motives.
Lord grant us for thou our strenght to overcome life's greatest trials that we may meet: and grant it also when we face those little trials that would defeat.
ReplyDelete